


non ti scordar di me

by crimsongravedigger



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-08 01:03:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4284744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsongravedigger/pseuds/crimsongravedigger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sehun spends his summer in the countryside and loses his heart between bouquets of forget-me-nots and the dewy grass of meadows at sunrise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	non ti scordar di me

The bell rings for the last time and Sehun almost kills himself while running down the stairs with a bunch of papers in his hands and a bouncy backpack on the shoulder. _Summer_ , he thinks when the first students start to gather outside the school building to say goodbye to each other. He makes his way among the screaming crowd and his ears are filled with cheesy ' _hey don't forget to send a postcard!_ ' and not-so-honest ' _I'm gonna miss you so much_ '. Sehun jogs like his feet are on fire and after two minutes and seven seconds he's being crushed between two old women on the bus. _Summer_ , he thinks while he taps his fingertips impatiently on the glass in front of him. _Summer_ , he thinks when he's devouring the very last piece of sandwich on his way home.

 

"Sehun? Sehun!" his mother calls him with a worried tone, a wooden spoon in her right hand and an empty plate on the table. 

 

 _Summer_ , he thinks when he locks himself in his room and opens every single drawer to search for the right clothes. He double-checks his list and a pleased sigh leaves his thin lips. _Summer_ , he finally screams internally while dragging two suitcases as big as him towards his dad's car in the courtyard. He waves at the tiny woman on the doorstep and tells the man at the wheel to press his foot on the accelerator like his life depended on it, because he literally can't wait to leave that shitty town. Sehun can't believe his parents agreed to let him plan his very first holiday abroad. After calling a hundred friends, creating eight polls on facebook and pointing a finger randomly on a dusty globe, he finally chose Paris as his destination. He can already see himself in front of the Eiffel Tower, munching on a sweet croissant while reading the local newspaper (also checking out pretty girls but that's a detail). Sehun takes out his cellphone to send a quick 'fuck yeah' to Jongin and he looks up just in time to see his father take the road opposite to the airport. His eyes are stuck on that signal and just for a second it seems that it's waving goodbye. _Adieu Paris._

 

"Where are we going." Sehun whispers with a slightly trembling voice. It's not even a question anymore. 

 

"Didn't your mother tell you? Your grandma really wanted to see you. You can always book your ticket next year! And the countryside is pretty too, you know..with trees and..uhm, plants." 

 

Sehun slowly sinks into the backseat and tries to fight the urge to swallow his cellphone whole. 

 

Jongin is buying ice-cream for Kyungsoo when he receives a text from Sehun. He laughs so hard that the the pretty pink ice cream lands on the ground with a loud ' _splat_ '.

 

 **From** : sehun

fuck no. brb gonna jump of a cliff bye

 

 

The road trip takes about twenty years. Well, maybe not exactly years, but it's eight o'clock in the evening and they are still on the highway, stuck in a traffic jam. Sehun unwraps another snack and hopes to choke on it. His father is singing along to some old tunes on the radio and he doesn't even know the right lyrics but it's ok, it's not like he cares. Sehun closes his eyes and falls asleep with half chocolate bar pressed in a corner of his mouth and some m&ms on his lap. Eventually they manage to reach their destination safe and sound; the sleepy boy jerks awake when his father slams the trunk so hard it makes the whole car shake. Opening the car door, Sehun yawns loudly and rubs his eyes lazily. 

 

"Come on young boy, it's five in the morning! Your grandma is waiting!" 

 

Sehun's father hands him his suitcases and pushes him forward with a strong pat on the back. There's a woman as tall as a flower waiting on the doorstep of a house not too far, wearing a bright yellow apron and waving happily with one hand. Her hair is as white as snow and her smile seems reassuring, so Sehun tries to forget Paris and follows the path that leads to the small house on the hill. His grandmother welcomes him with a weak hug and a steamy cup of tea accompanied by a piece of apple pie. She asks about school and friends, occasionally nodding and filling his cup with more tea. Sehun talks about his hobbies and the university he wants to get in, his cats and sometimes he mentions Jongin. 

 

"I'm sure he's a caring boy. Now, why don't you explore around until I'm done preparing your room?" the old woman lets go of his hand and gestures him to go outside, so he does. The countryside is exactly like he expected it to be: full of trees, bushes, flowers, bugs and more trees. He wanders until he finds the perfect spot to see the sunrise and he simply plops down, making sure that there aren't things crawling upon his bare legs. The sun rises shyly and its pinkish rays bath Sehun's face just like a waterfall of light; the sky turns into a pretty shade of blue and Sehun tries to count the remaining stars before they disappear. He's playing with a dandelion when his gaze lands on a small village just at the base of the hill. There's a church built right in the center of the main square, blocks of houses here and there and some other buildings he can't recognize; it's not as big as he would like it to be, but it's better than nothing and maybe there will be guys his age he could hang out with (and pretty girls too but again, that's a detail). With his luck, the youngest woman he'd find would be at least 65 years old and yeah, he sure likes older women, but not that old. Sehun sighs loudly and lets himself fall on his back, slightly shivering at the contact with the fresh grass. Later in the morning, when his grandmother is done preparing the bedroom, Sehun is nowhere to be seen; she walks, walks and walks until her ears catch a soft snoring on top of the highest hill. She finds him there, with drool on the chin and a colorful butterfly on the nose. What a great start. 

 

"Sehun, could you please do me a favor?" she kindly asks him when Sehun returns to the living world. He nods and takes the small grocery list his grandma wrote earlier. He wanted to see the village anyways, so it's not like he's bothered or anything. With some bills in his pocket and a cute plastic bag, he's off. 

Finding a supermarket isn't hard; he buys everything written on the list (eggs, coffee, milk, flour and some popsicles) and the cashier ( _Tao_ , reads his name tag) stares into his soul until Sehun leaves with his heart beating in his throat. _What the fuck?_

There isn't much to do. He stops in front of a flower shop to look around and-

 

"Ohmygod hi, I'm Baekhyun and this is Jongdae! Are you new? We've never seen you around! Would you like to buy some flowers? What about sunflowers? They are the latest trend and also there is 30% off on white roses if you're interested! Are you a bouquet-kind-of-guy, perhaps? Jongdae's super good at making those! Jongdae, go prepare a bouquet for this cutie!" 

 

-he ends up buying a bouquet for his grandmother and a sunflower for himself. The two guys wave back at him and the shorter one, Jongdae, tells him to stop by the small coffee shop right behind the church because they make the best pastries ever. Sehun would like to ask sarcastically if there were other coffee shops around, but he simply nods and gives a thumb up. Actually, now that he's thinking about it, a nice cup of coffee wouldn't be so bad. His eyes are still a bit sticky and there's a terrible taste in his mouth, so when he finds himself in front of the infamous coffee shop and sees a blonde guy cleaning the tables, his hand is already on the handle. The doorbell makes the barista raise his head and their eyes meet for a couple of seconds; he quickly drops the cloth and dries his hands on his dark apron, trying to soften the wrinkles on the fabric right after. He makes his way behind the counter while Sehun sits comfortably on a wooden stool. 

 

"Good morning! What would you like to drink?"

 

The barista's eyes are so bright and big and sparkly that Sehun wishes he had brought sunglasses with him. He settles the flowers on the counter and looks up to read some of the beverages they offer, opting for the same cappuccino he used to drink every single morning before going to school. Sehun watches as the guy's small hands work quickly to prepare his cappuccino; whatever he's doing looks like sorcery to him. The barista presses a button and then everything starts to smell like coffee. He places the cup in front of him and with a steady hand he adds milk and foam, finishing everything with a sprinkle of cocoa powder. 

 

"Your bouquet is very pretty. Did Jongdae make it?" the blonde asks while handing him a teaspoon and some sugar. Sehun nods but isn't really surprised; the village is so small that it's normal that everybody knows everybody, plus it's not like there are hundred of flower shops. The barista's lips curve into a sweet smile as he arranges the porcelain cups into the dishwasher. 

 

"Are you a tourist or something? Your face is not familiar. I'm Luhan, by the way" the blond says while offering a hand to Sehun, who shakes it shyly.

 

"Sehun. But yeah, I'm staying with my grandmother for the whole summer." 

 

Luhan hums and goes back to work, greeting another customer with a cheeky grin and doing the same for about ten more. Sehun spends half an hour just looking at Luhan preparing coffee and admiring how quickly his fingers work. He decorates the beverages with cocoa powder, little hearts for girls and happy faces for boys. He never stops smiling and wow, his face must hurt a lot at the end of the day. When the shop is relatively empty, Luhan rests his head on his palm and tells random stories about the villagers. Sehun laughs quietly and simply listens, finding the other's accent even funnier than the stories themselves. They talk about pretty much everything: weather, university, food, work. 

At some point, Sehun glances at the clock and almost chokes on his own saliva. He tells Luhan he absolutely has to go back, to which the blonde nods with a bit of disappointment painted on his cute face. 

 

"Hey, uhm, keep this. See you later!"

 

Sehun walks fast and he quickly disappears behind the church, leaving Luhan with a sunflower held in his hand and some cash near the empty cup. 

 

\--

 

Sehun is having lunch with his grandmother when he receives a text from Jongin.

 

 **From** : nini

bro are u really dead? have u turned into a carrot yet

 

Sehun texts back and texts with his heart.

 

 **To** : nini

bro isn't kyungsoo tired of you yet 

 

Sehun doesn't receive any text for the rest of the day.

 

\--

 

After Sehun is done putting his clothes inside the wardrobe, he opens the window and moves the bed so he can watch the sky even when he's lying down. The air is chilly and it gently strokes his hair, letting it fall on his closed eyes. It's eight o'clock and he's bored. Going to the village doesn't sound so bad. He could share a drink with his new friends, and maybe he could chat with Luhan a little more. The idea of seeing him again creates a funny feeling in his stomach, but he buries it deep down, not wanting to think about it. Sehun chooses a nice pair of skinny jeans, his trusty white shirt and fixes his hair in front of the mirror. For the ladies, you know. 

 

"Are you going out?" the tiny old woman asks, raising her eyes from and equally old book. A smile plays on her lips when Sehun nods timidly, not saying anything else. She gives him some money and a spare key.

 

"I'm glad you like the village, Sehun. Have you made any friends yet?" 

 

"Yeah…I met Jongdae, Baekhyun and..uhm, Luhan" he watches as his grandmother's eyes become a bit sadder than before, but he honestly can't understand why. He walks towards the door and grabs a jacket, promising that he won't come home too late.

 

Sehun reaches the village and he's quite surprised to see so many lights; there are people walking down the street, kids chatting lively, some shops are still open and there's a sweet scent of fruit in the air. He drops by the flower shop and says hi to Baekyun and Jongdae, telling them that his grandmother loved the bouquet. Jongdae winks and Bakekhyun hits his shoulder playfully, turning his face away to hide his warm cheeks. 

 

Sehun enters the coffee shop and scans the whole place searching for Luhan's thin figure. He sees him serving a couple of espressos at a table near the window and lets out a sigh of relief, taking the same seat in front of the counter. He crosses his legs and pretends to write a text to someone, even if all he's waiting for is to be greeted by the barista. Maybe he should apologize to Jongin. 

 

"Hey, Sehun! It's nice seeing you again" Luhan exclaims with a hand on the other's shoulder. 

 

Sehun smiles and replies with a weak ' _same_ ', enjoying the warmth of the blonde's hand. They start chatting again just like they did in the morning, laughing and drinking cups of coffee like it's water. Maybe it's because of summer, or because of the chilly air, but Sehun isn't mad about the whole Paris thing anymore. The sound of Luhan's loud laughter is prettier than any show at the Moulin Rouge, and the lights on the Tour Eiffel can't compete against the sparkles in his eyes. His lips probably taste sweeter than any croissant, but Sehun doesn't know and his brain freezes at that thought. Ok, too much coffee. He tries not to panic, but Luhan is so close that even his pores are visible and his hand is still on his shoulder and the cologne he's wearing smells so good and _no._ Just no. Sehun coughs a few times after backing off just a bit so he gets some fresh air. Maybe it's time to go home. 

 

"Here's our Romeo!" Baekhyun calls right after he steps inside the shop with Jongdae at his side, following him like a puppy. Sehun laughs and thinks about digging a hole and dying right there, but Luhan is laughing too so he guesses everything's alright. He also wonders if everyone in that village is so friendly and loud, but Jongdae pats his back and nods like he understood his thoughts. 

 

"Two iced americanos for the lovebirds. Did you know that Sehun brought me a gift this morning?" Luhan exclaims while passing two frozen beverages to Baekhyun and Jongdae. He points at the sunflower on the counter and Sehun's eyes get as big as the moon and his hand is already shaking as for saying _omg no no no please don't-_ but obviously no one really listens to what he has to say as another voice joins the group.

 

"Who brought whom what?"

 

Sehun then meets a friend of his friends, Chanyeol, a guy as tall as the door whose ears could be used as an airplane. He's nice, he talks a lot and his jokes are actually funny, so maybe Sehun doesn't have to dig his grave yet. They drink and chat until the shop has to close for the night. 

 

"Would you wait for me? I can walk you home if you want." 

 

Sehun nods with a smile and helps Luhan putting the chairs on the tables so they can wipe the floor. He doesn't really mind spending more time with the blonde, plus it's nice knowing that Luhan appreciates his presence as well. Sehun puts the cloth on the coffee machine and waits for his friend to grab the keys so they can both go home and rest. The silence between them is everything but awkward; the village is way quieter than before and most of the lights are turned off, but the sound of their shoes on the gravel is really nice and Sehun can't help but stare at the ground. 

 

"Uhm, I'm going this way. Thank you for helping me, and..for the flower too. It's pretty."

 

"Yeah, no problem. See you tomorrow?"

 

"Tomorrow's my day off, but maybe we could see each other around. This village is small, after all."

 

Sehun nods and wishes him goodnight, then he walks towards the other side of the road until his figure disappears in the dark. Luhan glues his eyes on his friend's back but he doesn't even try to remember at least some details about him: the blackness of his hair, his broad shoulders, his adorable lisp, the way he smiles. 

 

Sighing, he walks away. He will probably forget everything anyway.

 

\--

 

Sehun is in front of the coffee shop at eight o'clock sharp but he doesn't dare to go in. There's the sunflower on the counter, the white cups on the coffee machine, a mix of pastries on display and no Luhan. He remains outside with his nose almost pressed against the window, eyes wandering quickly and throat completely dry. He must look kinda stupid, with his hair stuck in the air and some drool still on his chin, so he doesn't blame the new barista when he gives him a strange look.

He came here for a reason and he won't go home until he has the answers he needs. With a loud groan and a series of whispered ' _what the fuck am i doing'_ , he finally steps in. 

 

"Hello! What would you like to drink?"

 

He panics. 

 

"A..uh…iced…cappuccino..with..caramel on top..?"

 

Minseok (a.k.a. the barista who happens to be Luhan's bestest friend) looks up to see if a beverage like that even existed, then nods with a charming smile. He places a big porcelain cup in front of Sehun and then proceeds to do some magic. 

 

"Do you know Luhan?"

 

"...Yeah? Why?" Minseok frowns a little. 

 

"I..uhm..what does he like? Flowers, I mean. What flowers does he like?"

 

"You know that Luhan is special, right?"

 

"Oh, yeah…he's very special. Yesterday I gave him this sunflower and he liked it a lot."

 

And then Minseok gets it. He stops the coffee machine and sets the milk aside, looking around to make sure no one is listening (everyone knows everything about everyone so secrets don't exist). He walks until he's in front of Sehun and gestures to follow him. They sit in the corner of the shop and Minseok clears his throat before speaking. 

 

"Listen, ok, Luhan is special in a certain way. We both know he's cute and everything, but he tends to-"

 

"Minseok! Hey! I came to say hi!" Luhan enters the shop and bolts towards their table and his smile lights up the whole shop. Luhan also mentions the pretty sunflower on the counter and Sehun instantly feels the world falling on top of his head when the blonde asks innocently who bought it. 

 

"Was it Jongdae? Ah, I'll drop by the shop on my way home. Hey, is he a friend of yours? Nice to meet you! I'm Luhan by the way." and then he's gone, a plastic bag held in his hand and the same playful smile on his lips. 

 

"-forget things." finishes Minseok, looking at the hurt expression on Sehun's face. 

 

"Hey, are you ok?" the barista asks, noticing how Sehun fell silent after what happened.

 

"I…I gave it to him yesterday, how could he forget? Did he forget me? Everything?"

 

"Luhan had a car accident last year and since then, his memory is stuck on that day. Whatever comes after, he forgets. We tried everything but…he kinda erases his mind after waking up? I don't know if it makes sense."

 

"Will he always forget things? People too? But he remembers you and the others, how.."

 

Minseok stops him with a loud sigh.

 

"He remembers us because we already knew each other before the accident, but you met him yesterday for the first time. Sometimes he remembers just some details, like a name or a number, but not the whole day."

 

"Does he even know about his illness?" Sehun whispers with eyes fixed on the table, not able to meet Minseok's gaze. For the first time, he feels like crying. When his friend nods, Sehun stands up and leaves.

 

"He likes forget-me-nots by the way!" Miseok shouts on the doorstep, but Sehun doesn't look back. 

 

Forget-me-nots. How ironic.

 

\--

 

 **To** : nini

jongin we need to talk it's serious

 

 **From** : nini

why is a carrot talking to me

 

 **To** : nini

jongin please

 

i don't know what to do

 

jongin

 

i wanna come home

 

 **From** : nini

give me 5 sec and i'll call u

 

\-- 

 

Sehun is lying on his bed, eyes on the ceiling and a cup of tea on the floor. Three weeks already passed since he first met Luhan. He doesn't feel that _something_ flying inside his stomach anymore; now, whenever he smells the faintest scent of coffee, his stomach cries in pain. It's been a month since he last heard Luhan call his name like a friend would do. He cringes at that memory but it's like his heart and mind can't get enough of that feeling, making him remember that day over and over until his eyes burn and his throat grows a knot. Sometimes he thinks about Paris, about the trip abroad his parents cancelled, how much easier it would have been, how his heart would have felt better and he gets so angry that his knuckles turn white. 

It's seven o'clock in the morning when his grandmother knocks at his door and invites him to go to the local market with her. 

 

"I need some rice for lunch, let's go!" she exclaims happily and Sehun can feel her smile behind the closed door. He agrees even though he clearly remembers buying three packs of rice only two days ago. 

 

As expected, the trip to the market was just a plain excuse to make Sehun join the world of the living once again. His grandma drags his skinny arm everywhere, pointing at fresh products and pretty clothes. He would occasionally nod and say something like ' _yeah it's nice_ ' and _'we should buy it'_ , but nothing else escapes from his thin lips. 

Sehun waves at Jongdae and Baekhyun hoping they won't guess anything about what happened between him and Luhan, but luck doesn't seem to like being on his side. Baekhyun literally drowns him with questions, asking about where the hell he has been for the past thirty days, lightly slapping his shoulder with a pout. He complains about the lack of life in the village without Sehun's presence, he mentions the night they spent together at the coffee shop, the funny jokes and bad puns, but Luhan's name never sees the light of the day. Sehun is about to excuse himself when Jongdae emerges from the flower shop, handing him a bouquet of forget-me-nots. 

 

"A little help" Jongdae says with a soft smile, pushing Baekhyun inside the shop so he'd stop chatting like a desperate housewife. Sehun turns to his grandmother and she points at the church with her chin. Luhan is right there, with his light blonde hair and the black apron Sehun has seen so many times, talking lively with an old man. And then Sehun understands that his grandma just _knows_ , exactly like Jongdae, and everything seems a bit less hard than before.

 

"Are these for me?" Luhan asks with his eyebrows raised, taking the bouquet from Sehun's hand right after he approached him. He brings the pretty blue flowers to his nose and inhales deeply, closing his eyes.

 

"How did you know that I love these?" 

 

"Lucky guess?" Sehun shrugs, falling in love with him a little more.

 

"How about you tell me your name in front of some coffee?" Luhan asks, pressing the bouquet against his chest. Sehun replies with a low ' _yeah_ ' and meets Luhan all over again.

 

\--

 

Sehun meets Luhan all over again every single day. He would approach him with a lame excuse, some flowers or maybe a simple greeting, and Luhan would smile and offer him a free cup of coffee. They would sit on a bench and chat for eternity, or at least until the sun slowly sets, coloring their faces with pretty shades of pink and orange. They would walk into the woods while it rains, then desperately try to find a shelter while laughing with tears on their cheeks. They would lay on the ground, fingers slowly brushing, eyes fixed on animal-shaped clouds and birds flying high into the sky. Sehun would place a lock of Luhan's hair behind his ear and Luhan would capture the other's hand into his own, quietly enjoying its warmth against his skin. Everyday Sehun would take pictures of him with his camera and the blonde would hide his face behind anything he could grab. 

 

"I think I could marry you" Sehun whispers carelessly one day, sipping the coffee milkshake Luhan had just made for him. 

 

"That's funny because I met you, like, ten minutes ago" the barista laughs while changing the calendar on the wall. Sehun lowers his head and thinks about the last twenty-five days they had spent together but doesn't say anything about it.

 

"Isn't a day enough?" 

 

Luhan turns his head towards Sehun and his eyes travel lazily on his defined features, stopping at his lips for longer than usual. Luhan nods and places his left hand on the counter. 

 

"Let's get married then. Where's my ring?"

 

Sehun reaches for a piece of tinfoil and quickly shapes it into a ring, placing it into Luhan's left ring finger. They both laugh awkwardly when the rest of the customers clap their hands and shout _'long live the newlyweds!'_

 

 

Sometimes Sehun would ask Luhan to go see the starts together, lost in a field somewhere near the village. Luhan would rest his head on Sehun's chest and listen to his steady heartbeat like it's his favorite lullaby. 

 

"Is this ok? I mean…I saw you for the first time today." the blonde whispers, and each word is a stab into the younger's heart. Sehun holds him a little closer.

 

"Everything's ok" he replies, even though it's not. Nothing is ok. 

 

\--

 

It's almost the end of August when Sehun buys his last bouquet of forget-me-nots. He waits until Luhan closes the coffee shop and then he approaches him like he has done for the past month, introducing himself with a small grin on his face. Luhan furrows his eyebrows and gives him a weird look.

 

"I already know your name, silly. You're the one who bought me a sunflower" Luhan says like it's the most obvious thing in the world, rolling his eyes a bit. Sehun automatically drops the flowers and the next thing Luhan knows is that Sehun is kissing him hard under the street light. If the older feels something wet on his cheeks, he doesn't say anything about it. If the younger feels the other trembling a little, well, he doesn't say anything about it either. 

 

"Do you remember me?" Sehun whispers against his lips, eyes searching for the blonde's gaze. 

 

"Just…just a little bit" Luhan cries, resting his head on Sehun's shoulder. It's frustrating and it hurts so much that his head is about to explode, but flashes can't stop coming and they are all about Sehun.

 

"It's ok. It's enough." and for Sehun it's really enough.

 

They walk towards the highest hill and Luhan lets himself fall on his back, dragging the other along. For a short period of time there's only silence between them; the wind blows softly through the leaves, crickets start their songs and everything fits like a puzzle. Then there are messy kisses, awkward touches, silent tears and warm whispers, and at some point their clothes are somewhere else, but it feels right and Sehun leaves all those marks so Luhan will remember what they shared that night. When the magic stops, they are breathing heavily and the stars seem to shine a bit more than earlier. They deserve it. They deserve happiness.

 

Luhan cries. The sun wakes up and finds him still by Sehun's side, dressed in his wrinkly clothes and with tears choking him.

 

"I don't want to sleep. I don't want to forget. Sehun, I don't want to forget."

 

Sehun looks into his eyes, red-rimmed from the lack of sleep, and kisses his temple.

 

"It's ok" he repeats, until Luhan's sobs get softer and softer. "I promise I'll make you remember." 

 

\--

 

Eventually, summer ends and Sehun has to go back home. His last day at the village is indeed touching; Jongdae is still preparing some decorations and Minseok hasn't finished warming the milk yet when he arrives. Baekhyun tears up a little and smacks his shoulder so hard that Sehun's arm almost falls off, but it's ok since those are his friends and he will miss them like crazy in a couple of days. He will miss their rudeness, their loudness and their lame ass jokes, but he will also miss their laughter and their kindness. Chanyeol promises to spend his holidays in Seoul so they can hang out some more, and Tao emerges from the supermarket with a couple of snacks and junk food. 

 

"For the trip back home" he says, and Sehun really wants to hug him. 

 

"What's that box?" Minseok asks at some point, looking at the small white box Sehun is carrying around like it's his baby. 

 

Sehun opens his mouth but closes it right away. His eyes are fixed on a figure sitting far away from them, a figure with pretty blonde hair and the same black apron. With a quick ' _be right back'_ he walks up to him and Luhan stands up, not exactly knowing what to do.

 

"You probably don't remember me." 

 

"Uhm, not really. Have we met before?"

 

Sehun shakes his head and fights back the tears forming at the corner of his almond eyes. He gives the box to Luhan and then he's gone. 

 

His grandmother hugs him tightly while his dad closes the trunk. Sehun promises to be back next summer and waves from the car window, enjoying the fresh breeze for the last time before sinking into the backseat. He stuffs his mouth with snacks, hoping to fill the emptiness inside him, but food can't fill the hole in his heart. 

 

Sehun doesn't respond when his mother asks him if he had been crying in the car. 

 

\--

 

Luhan decides to open the box inside his room, not wanting the others to see what that stranger gave to him. It felt…kinda special, to be honest. He lifts the lid and sets it aside, brushing his fingers against a white envelope with ' _thirty-one days of us_ ' written on it. Before reading the content, he smells a very small bouquet of forget-me-nots, tightly wrapped in a soft white ribbon, and touches a small ring made of tinfoil. Inside the envelope there is no letter. Luhan counts exactly thirty-one polaroids, each one of them labeled with a short description and a date.

 

_#sehun and luhan drinking coffee (so good!) 03/08_

_#in the woods after the rain (ok we're so going to catch a cold) 09/08_

_#sehun kissing luhan (i could do it forever) 18/08_

_#married! (should i buy you a real ring?) 19/08_

_#luhan and sehun making funny faces 26/08_

 

Luhan holds the last polaroid, which frames a picture of him and Sehun smiling next to each other. 

 

_#last day of us (i promised you i'd make you remember, right?) 31/08_


End file.
